Trolley for electric cars.



- Patantadluly l, I902. C. .l. JOHNSON & C. W; BENEDICT.

TBOLLEY FOB ELECTRIC GABS.

(Applicltion filed Sept. 28, 1901.)

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CHARLES J; JOHNSON AND OHARL SW. BENEDICT, oF-s'r; Louis, MISSOURI.

TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC CAR S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,589, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed September 23, 1901. Serial No. 76,255- Qlo model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES J. J oHNsoN and CHARLES W. BENEDICT, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolleys for Electric Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptiom refe-rence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Ourinvention relates to that class of trolleys in which provision is made for the actua-. tion of the trolley in a manner to prevent the striking of the stay-wires of the electrical conductor by the trolley in the event of the trolley-wheel becoming displaced from the electrical conductor.

The invention consists in features of no'velty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of our improved trolley. Fig. II. is a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, with one of the supporting bracket-posts removed. Fig. III is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the position of the parts of the trolley subsequent to actuation thereof, due to the escape of the trolley-wheel from the electrical conductor. Fig. 1V is a detail sectional'view of the adjustable detent-receiving stop. Fig. V is a detail sectional view taken on line V V, Fig. II. p

1 designates .t he base of a bracket provided with posts 2 and having a standard 3, in which a spring-holding rod 4, that receives the trolley-supporting spring 5, is mounted. The rod 4has connected to it a link6,and on the rod is a stop-collar 7, having located forward of it a cushion-spring 8, adapted for movement to the standard 3. 7

9 designates fork-arms carried bya head 10, that is swingingly supported on trunnions 11, mounted in the bracket-posts 2, said arms and head comprising a swinging member.

12 is an arm containing an eye 13 and carried by the fork-arm body 10 and having connected thereto one end of the link 6, by which the body 10 is connected to the spring-controlled rod 4 for the purpose of providing spring-support of the fork-arms 9.

14 designates a lever pivotally mounted in is adapted to be connected to the usual trolley-rope or to the car by which the trolley is carried or which may be a continuation of the usual trolley-rope, while the opposite end is fixed at 21 to either or both of the fork-arms 9. The slack rope 20 passes over a sheave 22, carried by one of the fork-arms 9, near the outer end thereof, and thence beneath a sheave 23, positioned between the fork-arms at their inner ends. From the sheave 23 the rope 20 passes over a pulley 24, that is carried by the lever 14 at its inner end.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the slack rope 20 is so arranged on the sheaves 22 23 and pulley 24 and connected at its ends to the fork-arms and trolley rope or car in such manner that a pull may be obtained on the inner end of the lever 14 when the rope is in a taut'condition.

25 is an adjustable stop mounted on the bracket-posts or trolley-supports 2, the said stop being provided with slots 26, that receive set-screws 27, by which the stop may be held in varied positions on the bracket posts or supports, Where it receives the impact of the heel of the detent 18 in the event of said detent being moved thereto in the swinging of the fork-arms 9 consequent to the pulling action of the spring 5 when the trolley-Wheel becomes displaced from the electrical conductor. In this connection it is of material importance that the stop 25 be adjustable on the bracket-posts or trolley-supports in order that the stop may be moved forwardly or backwardly with relation to the position of the detent 18, which varies according to the height of the electrical conductor above the mounting or the trolley in order that the detent may strike said stop with a decreased or greater travel when the trolley-Wheel becomes displaced in order that the stay-wires or the I electrical conductor will not be struck by the trolley-pole.

Ioo

In the practical use of our trolley the parts normally occupy the positions seen in Figs. I and II, while the trolley-wheel is held against the electrical conductor by the spring 5, that, acting upon the fork-arms 9, sustains the trolley-pole in the requisite position for the trolley-wheel to travel in contact with the electrical conductor. In the event of the trolley-wheel becoming displaced from the conductor the pole 15 moves in an upward direction under the action of the spring 5, and the lever 14 and fork-arms 9 are carried therewith, whereby the detent 18 is moved in the arc of a circle to the stop 25, against which its heel strikes when the stop is reached. On the impingement of the detent against the stop the point of said detent is moved rearwardly out of the notch 16 and off of the shoulder 17, thereby freeing the lever 14 from restraint by said detent. A slight additional movement of the fork-arms 9 causes the slack rope 20 to be drawn taut, and as the pole 15 descends by reason of its weight the movement of the lever 14 is limited by the rope from which the slack has been removed, owing to the change of position of the inner end of the le ver 14. The result is that the fork-arms 9 are brought to rest, and the pole and lever by which it is carried are held by the rope 20 in the position seen in Fig. III, owing to all of the slack in said rope having been expended.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. In a trolley, the combination with a sup port, of a swinging spring-controlled member mounted in, said support, a pole carrying lever pivotally carried by said swinging member, a detent carried by said swinging member and adapted to engage said lever, a stop mounted on said support adapted to receive the impingement of said detent, and a rope connected at one end to said swinging member and loosely positioned on said lever and having its opposite end suitably held, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley, the combination with a support, of a swinging spring-controlled member mounted in said support, a pole-carrying lever pivotally carried by said swinging member, a detent carried by said swinging member and adapted to engage said lever, an adjustable stop mounted on said support and adapted to receive the impingement of said detent, and a rope connected at one end to said swinging member and loosely positioned on said lever and having its opposite end suitably held, substantially as described.

3. In a trolley, the combination with a support, of a swinging spring-controlled member mounted in said support, a pole-carrying lever pivotally carried by said swinging memher, a detent carried by said swinging member and adapted to engage said lever, a stop carried by said support adapted to receive the impingement of said detent, sheaves carried by said swinging member, a pulley carried by said lever, and a rope connected at one end to said swinging member and mounted on the pulley carried by lever and having its opposite end suitably held, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 18th day of September, 1901.

CHAS. J. JOHNSON. OIIAS. W. BENEDICT.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, N. V. ALEXANDER. 

